Running a red light

[T.I.E]

On the other hand, as is regularly pointed out on here bikes stop waay quicker than cages....I always run ambers just in case some cage behind me is going "not see me".

How many times do you do it, think "that was a bit norty" to yourself and see three cars cross after you?

totally agree have always seen many cars running lights when i thought running the orange was naughty.

but it does worry me the ammount of fines and silly ones i am seeing up on this site.
shame we can't see the policeman/womans point of view. but it certainly seems like they are filling out alot of stupid tickets for meaningless things.
but running the amber and speeding up. na sorry think you will just have to bite the bullet.

[riffer]

..I always run ambers just in case some cage behind me is going "not see me".

Sheesh.

That's the stupidest thing I've heard all day. You're much more likely to get hit by someone jumping the light than someone hitting you from behind.

I hope you've got good medical insurance. You're gonna need it.

[MisterD]

So far so good, and I'm riding just the same way I did when I started in London. I'm just happier taking a chance with stuff that's in front of me...

[dangerous]

On the other hand, as is regularly pointed out on here bikes stop waay quicker than cages....

What a fucking lot a shit, LMFAO....... most cars have anti skid systems on them, bikes only stop quicker when they hit a cage
Mate..... use ya mirrors they are ya best mate on the bike if ther is someone following to close... then do what ya have to.... you shoud always be awear of your suroundings ok?

....I always run ambers just in case some cage behind me is going "not see me"

dumb.... just dumb :spudgrr:

[Lou Girardin]

Sheesh.

That's the stupidest thing I've heard all day. You're much more likely to get hit by someone jumping the light than someone hitting you from behind.

I hope you've got good medical insurance. You're gonna need it.

Nose to tails are by far the most common accidents in cities. They can kill us just as easily as a T bone.

[MisterD]

Mate..... use ya mirrors they are ya best mate on the bike if ther is someone following to close... then do what ya have to.... you shoud always be awear of your suroundings ok?

dumb.... just dumb :spudgrr:

Hell, this is Dorkland, everyone follows too close. The vast majority of my riding is d2d commuting which means everyone tries to squeeze through every set of lights right up to the first 1-2 seconds of red.

Traffic from other roads into intersections is always queued up (and I might add I can't think of a single intersection where I don't have a good view of every incoming direction) so the chances of someone getting a flyer and hitting me going through on amber (not red, ever) are pretty slim.

I would also point of I'm 35, and I have ten years+ of high (cage) mileage as a sales rep in the UK before I came over so I do rate my ability to anticpate what others are going to do around me....

[inlinefour]

you did it and Id say it was a sting op. Hard to tell exactly when it went red when your riding though it. Id pay the fine and move on mate

[Karma]

I have ten years+ of high (cage) mileage as a sales rep in the UK before I came over so I do rate my ability to anticpate what others are going to do around me....

Nothing against you personally mate but it's been my experience in the uk that the sales reps are not good drivers at all... same thing as taxi drivers... I think they get to a point where they've been on the road so much they can't be bothered to check mirrors and signal, they get too relaxed.

And the bit about your ability to anticipate what a car driver is going to do? Rubbish mate... I've only been driving / riding in Auckland for 3 months, and if there is one thing you can't do, that's telling which way some cage driver is going to go.

[MisterD]

Nothing against you personally mate but it's been my experience in the uk that the sales reps are not good drivers at all... same thing as taxi drivers... I think they get to a point where they've been on the road so much they can't be bothered to check mirrors and signal, they get too relaxed..

I disagree (well I would), it's like anything else, the more practice, the better you get. The downside for reps, is tiredness, pushing it 'cos you're running late and trying to read a map and drive at the same time...the upside is that you spend a lot of time on unfamilar roads which does help your skill level.

And the bit about your ability to anticipate what a car driver is going to do? Rubbish mate... I've only been driving / riding in Auckland for 3 months, and if there is one thing you can't do, that's telling which way some cage driver is going to go.

Oh you can...the WRONG way...every time

[FlyingDutchMan]

The way I understood the red light rule was if you were in the intersection when the light turns red, you've run a red light. Only exception if you're turning and waiting for the traffic to get the hell out of the way.

[marty]

today i accelerated through an orange light which turned red on me. I then had a police officer jump out infront of me in the middle of the road & wave me into a carpark. he said that there was another cop watching the intersection & said i went through a red light. i am positive the light was orange when i crossed the line but admit that i made a bad judgement call & left it a bit late. The cop estimated that i was doing 70ks which is about right, I had my details & a statement taken but was not given a ticket or any paperwork. when he told me i could leave i had 2 ask what i was getting done for & was told either running the red & speeding which is about $300 & some demerits or dangerous driving & loose my lisence for 6months but it was upto his boss & he would have to talk to him later. I was not even told when or how i will find out what i am being charged with. Does anyone have any advise that could be useful because now it is just my word against the cops so it looks like i might be outa luck, i already have 50 demerit points & cant afford to loose mi lisence because i need it to testride bikes at work.

if you can process the orange light, think 'shall i stop or go - nah, i'll go', then accelerate, then it turns red while you're in the intersection, then i suggest that you're fucked, and you'll have to wear it.

you could defend it for a laugh, unfortunately, it'll be at your expense

[Beemer]

I got done for going through an orange light many years ago in a car. I was about 10m from the intersection with another vehicle right up my date when the light changed, so I didn't even think twice about carrying on through as I certainly didn't expect to stop in 10m at 50kph. The car behind me saw the cop waiting to turn from a side street and jammed on his brakes, ending up about half a car length into the intersection I'd gone through. HE didn't get a ticket though, I did, and for running a red light. I knew I hadn't run a red light and thought the road code was very clear in its instruction to stop if you can do so safely, or proceed, which is exactly what I did, so I contested the ticket and went to court.

I took along all the letters I had written to the police about red light runners at the Haywards Hill lights, to prove I hated people who didn't stop for the lights, but I was not permitted to introduce the evidence, and was asked very patronisingly by the prosecuting sergeant if I thought I had more experience in traffic matters than a cop with 25 years experience? They then tried to alter the charge to going through an orange light rather than a red, but the JP hearing the case said he felt they had proved their case. Result? Lost half a day's pay, got the fine reduced (despite the JP saying they had proved their case), but still had to pay court costs, and got (I think) 35 demerit points. For a long time afterwards I dreaded green lights because I was petrified if they turned orange on me, and my feelings towards the police changed too. I knew damned well I had NOT gone through a red light but got convicted of doing so, and I still maintain that I would have ended up being hit by the guy behind me if I had tried to stop.

I wouldn't bother fighting it if it ever happened again - unless I had the police commissioner in the passenger seat and he told me to proceed!

[Lou Girardin]

JP's, you gotta love 'em. Incapable of doing their normal jobs due to age, so they retire and become court cheerleaders for the Plod.

[TLRulz]

Give the guy a brake, he obviously is remorsefull and we have all run red lights on occasion.
But I aggree a fine is on the way.
Maybe you could go back to he intersection and check the fazing, maybe there is only a short orange faze? Anyway you were speeding so you still wouldn't have stopped safely.
I suppose unless you can come up with a really god excuse, there's nothing to do but wait and hope for the smaller fine.

[What?]

...and we have all run red lights on occasion.

Really? All of us?? I think not...